Mark 6:14-56

John's Fate Recalled

14 1And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, "2John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him."
15 But others were saying, "He is 3Elijah." And others were saying, "He is 4a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."
16 But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, "John, whom I beheaded, has risen!"
17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of 5Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her.
18 For John had been saying to Herod, "6It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
19 7Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so;
20 for 8Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.
21 A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday 9gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men 10of Galilee;
22 and when the daughter of 11Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever * you want and I will give it to you."
23 And he swore to her, "Whatever * you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to 12half of my kingdom."
24 And she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."
25 Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26 And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling * to refuse her.
27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison,
28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.
30 13The 14apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.
31 And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves * to a secluded place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and 15they did not even have time to eat.)
32 16They went away in 17the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

Five Thousand Fed

33 The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them.
34 When Jesus went ashore, He 18saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because 19they were like sheep without * a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.
35 When it was already quite late *, His disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and it is already quite late *;
36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37 But He answered them, "You give them something to eat!" 20And they said to Him, "Shall we go and spend two hundred 21denarii on bread and give them something to eat?"
38 And He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go look!" And when they found out, they said, "Five, and two fish."
39 And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass.
40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties.
41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He 22blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all.
42 They all ate and were satisfied,
43 and they picked up twelve full 23baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish.
44 There were 24five thousand men who ate the loaves.

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 25Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into 26the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to 27Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away.
46 After 28bidding them farewell, He left 29for the mountain to pray.
47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land.
48 Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the 30fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.
49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;
50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "31Take courage; it is I, 32do not be afraid."
51 Then He got into 33the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly * * astonished,
52 for 34they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart 35was hardened.

Healing at Gennesaret

53 36When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore.
54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,
55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was.
56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just 37touch 38the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

Cross References 38

  • 1. Mark 6:14-29: {Matthew 14:1-12;} Mark 6:14-16: {Luke 9:7-9}
  • 2. Matthew 14:2; Luke 9:19
  • 3. Matthew 16:14; Mark 8:28
  • 4. Matthew 21:11
  • 5. Matthew 14:3; Luke 3:19
  • 6. Matthew 14:4
  • 7. Matthew 14:3
  • 8. Matthew 21:26
  • 9. Esther 1:3; Esther 2:18
  • 10. Luke 3:1
  • 11. Matthew 14:3
  • 12. Esther 5:3, 6; Esther 7:2
  • 13. Luke 9:10
  • 14. Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13; Luke 9:10; Luke 17:5; Luke 22:14; Luke 24:10; Acts 1:2, 26
  • 15. Mark 3:20
  • 16. Mark 6:32-44: {Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:5-13;} Mark 8:2-9
  • 17. Mark 3:9; Mark 4:36; Mark 6:45
  • 18. Matthew 9:36
  • 19. Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Zechariah 10:2
  • 20. John 6:7
  • 21. Matthew 18:28; Luke 7:41
  • 22. Matthew 14:19
  • 23. Matthew 14:20
  • 24. Matthew 14:21
  • 25. Mark 6:45-51: {Matthew 14:22-32; John 6:15-21}
  • 26. Mark 6:32
  • 27. Matthew 11:21; Mark 8:22
  • 28. Acts 18:18, 21; 2 Corinthians 2:13
  • 29. Matthew 14:23
  • 30. Matthew 24:43; Mark 13:35
  • 31. Matthew 9:2
  • 32. Matthew 14:27
  • 33. Mark 6:32
  • 34. Mark 8:17f
  • 35. Romans 11:7
  • 36. Mark 6:53-56: {Matthew 14:34-36;} John 6:24, 25
  • 37. Mark 3:10
  • 38. Matthew 9:20; Numbers 15:37-40

Footnotes 17

  • [a]. Lit "and"
  • [b]. Lit "was hearing him gladly"
  • [c]. I.e. chiliarchs, in command of a thousand troops
  • [d]. Lit "those who reclined at the table with him"
  • [e]. Lit "those reclining at the table"
  • [f]. Lit "out"
  • [g]. Lit "The"
  • [h]. Lit "what they may eat"
  • [i]. The denarius was equivalent to one day's wage
  • [j]. Lit "recline"
  • [k]. Lit "reclined"
  • [l]. Lit "harassed in rowing"
  • [m]. I.e. 3-6 a.m.
  • [n]. Or "troubled"
  • [o]. Lit "had not understood on the basis of"
  • [p]. Or "their mind was closed, made dull," or "insensible"
  • [q]. Lit "where they were hearing that He was"
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